Meet Our Leadership Team.

Chris Ulven

Executive Director

With a career that includes 15 years of working in the senior living industry, Chris – whose background is in finance and human resources – has had the opportunity to learn from some of the top senior living executives in the Midwest. He joined Rose Blumkin Jewish Home in 2012 as controller and has served as executive director since 2016. His experience has helped position the Rose Blumkin Jewish Home as a leader among Nebraska long term care providers.

Jerry Nevins

Assistant Administrator

Having joined the Rose Blumkin Jewish Home team in 2017, Jerry brings 30 years of experience working in health care in the Omaha area. In addition to nursing, he’s worked for three hospitals in a number of capacities. Jerry’s last position prior to RBJH was with the state of Nebraska as a nursing services surveyor for the long-term care survey teams. His knowledge of state and federal rules and regulations has made him a valuable asset to our management team. Today, Jerry is active in leadership roles with OMMRS (Omaha Medical Response System) and the MRC (Medical Reserve Corps).

Shelley Cash

Director of Nursing

Shelley began employment at the Rose Blumkin Jewish Home in 1992 as the Director of Nursing. In total, Shelley has 35 years plus experience in nursing under her belt, most of those years spent with RBJH. She challenges herself to stay current in developing clinical practice to serve our Residents with the most up to date practices. She strives to maintain a knowledgeable, caring and dedicated nursing staff. Shelley is a graduate of Nebraska Methodist College of Nursing.

Bert Benson

Director of Social Services

As the longest tenured employee, Bert joined the Rose Blumkin Jewish Home team in 1985. She began her career with RBJH working part time in the activities department, but eventually transitioned to social services and has now served three generations of community families as a social worker. Bert can assist residents and families with issues that might arise during their stay, including adjustment difficulties, referrals for special needs and end-of-life care.

Shelly Fox

Director of Admissions & Community Outreach

Shelly has been with the Rose Blumkin Jewish Home since 2003. She is a seasoned professional whose focus is on supporting and assisting community members, always giving them the time and attention they need. She is sensitive to the challenges they face and reaches out to them with dedication, empathy and kindness. Shelly works with elder clients and their families, with the goal of respecting their desire for independence while keeping them safe and providing for their physical and emotional needs. Shelly earned a master’s in social work from the University of Nebraska, Omaha.

Michael Aparo

Director of Food Services

An Omaha native, Mike is former U.S. Marine and a seasoned chef with more than 40 years of experience in the food service industry. He is a certified dietary manager and certified food protection professional as well as an instructor for ServSafe®. Since 2007, he has dedicated his culinary talents to the Jewish community at the Rose Blumkin Jewish Home. Mike is passionate about getting to know residents and their families and is keenly aware of the importance of the mealtime experience in their lives. Mike and his dietary team are always striving for new and fresh ideas to make meals nutritious and delicious.

Jennifer Addison

Environmental Services & Laundry Supervisor

Jennifer began her career with the Rose Blumkin Jewish Home in 2012 as a frontline staff member in the dietary department. Shortly after, she transitioned to dietary supervisor, where she remained until late 2017. Jennifer is now in the role of supervisor of the environmental services and laundry department. Jennifer’s hard work and hands-on approach have made her a valuable member of our management team.

Michelle Alberts

Executive Assistant & Office Manager

Born and raised in California, Michelle moved to Omaha 8 years ago and never looked back. With her roots in the arts, majoring in photography at the San Francisco Art Institute, she has been lucky enough to combine this with a knack for all-things-administrative by becoming an Executive Assistant for organizations such as the San Francisco Symphony and Omaha Performing Arts. Now she’s brought her quirky sense of humor and creative talents to her role as Office Manager and Executive Assistant here at the Rose Blumkin Jewish Home where her favorite thing is that no day is ever the same.

Margaret (Maggie) Conti

Director of Activities & Volunteer Services

Each day in the life of a resident of Rose Blumkin Jewish Home is filled with fun and interesting things to do. Maggie plays an important role in making this possible. She has worked with seniors her entire adult life and began her career at the Rose Blumkin Jewish Home in 1990 as the activities assistant. She now oversees the activities staff and volunteer coordinator. Maggie also works with community seniors on various monthly programming, helping to keep them as independent as possible.